What is universal coolant and can you add it to your vehicle?

Is Universal Coolant a Scam?

Coolant plays a vital role in regulating engine temperature and preventing overheating. However, it also plays an extremely important role in preventing cooling system corrosion. It protects the cooling system through the use of different anti-corrosion additive packages formulated specifically for each carmaker’s engine design. Carmakers are in the best position to know which metal, plastic, and seal materials are used in their engines, so they’re the only ones who can specify the right coolant. In recent years,  universal coolants have emerged as a versatile alternative. This article explores the concept of universal coolants, their advantages and disadvantages, and whether they can be added to your car.

What are Universal Coolants?

Universal coolants are designed to be compatible with a wide range of vehicles, regardless of make or model. These coolants are formulated to work with various materials found in engine components, such as aluminum, cast iron, and copper. They typically contain a mix of ethylene glycol or propylene glycol as the base fluid, along with corrosion inhibitors and other additives to protect the engine.

Is it really all makes, all models? No, it’s not. If a single coolant could actually work on all makes, all models, then carmakers have wasted decades trying to find just the right coolant formula for their engines.

The single advantage of universal “all makes, all models” coolant

Availability

Universal coolants allow distributors, auto parts stores and repair shop to lower their inventory and save space by stocking a single coolant for all cars and trucks.

The huge disadvantages of universal coolants

• Using a universal coolant in your engine can void your warranty— Your new car or extended warranty explicitly states that you must use the recommended fluids. If you use a universal coolant in place of the recommended coolant and experience cooling system damage, the carmaker can deny coverage.

• Universal coolants can react with your present coolant and accelerate corrosion— The anti-corrosion additives in universal coolant can negatively react with the additives in your current coolant, not only cancelling each other out, but actually accelerating corrosion.

• Universal coolants aren’t that universal— If you read the instructions on the bottle, you’ll discover that the manufacturer doesn’t recommend mixing their universal coolant with any other coolant, which means you’ll have to completely flush out the old coolant to use a universal coolant in your engine. In other words, there’s nothing universal about it at all.

Universal coolant is basically a scam

Not a single carmaker approves of using an “all makes, all models” universal coolant. You can’t add it to your existing coolant, and it’s not any cheaper than the carmaker’s recommended coolant. So what good is it?

How can antifreeze manufacturers claim their product works with all makes and models?

They really can’t. Well, technically speaking, they cover themselves by telling you to flush your cooling system if you add their product completely.

To cover their bases, these universal antifreeze formulas use a small amount of every inorganic inhibitor, which causes corrosion because the inhibitors interact poorly with each other.

In fact, many car makers have issued service bulletins warning not to use the wrong antifreeze just for this reason. In addition to interactions between inorganic inhibitors, there’s also the issue of incompatibility between all makes, all models of universal antifreeze, and the rubber and plastics used in the engine and cooling system components.

So mixing different types of antifreeze coolants or add the wrong antifreeze coolant can actually CAUSE corrosion, pitting of water pump, rust formation in radiator and total cooling system degradation.

Using the wrong antifreeze coolant can cause extensive cooling system damage

Shops like to use all makes and all models of antifreeze coolant because they don’t have to stock vehicle-specific antifreeze or tie up their repair bay while waiting for an antifreeze delivery from the local dealer. However, if a shop uses all makes, all models coolant in your vehicle and it’s not fully compatible, the damage won’t show up for at least a year. By then, you won’t connect the dots to realize that the coolant flush with the wrong coolant is what damaged your radiator, heater core, or water pump. Good luck pointing the finger at the shop at that point!

Why do shops and parts stores sell it?

Simply put, shops and auto parts retailers don’t have the shelf space to stock every car maker’s specific type of coolant. However, there’s no way of knowing if the new universal coolant is compatible with the corrosion additive package which could result in corrosion inhibitor drop out.

©, 2017 Rick Muscoplat

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